CLARENDON COUNTY, SC (WIS) - A strange cell phone in a teenage girl's bed led to the discovery of a 35-year-old Manning man's inappropriate relationship with a 15-year-old girl, according to investigators.

Clarendon County Sheriff Randy Garrett said Leondria Bernard Nelson was arrested Thursday night at his home in Manning after the mother of his alleged teenage victim caught him sending sexual text messages to her daughter on Thursday.

According to a sheriff's department incident report, the alleged victim's mother arrived home very early Thursday morning and, while checking on her daughters, found a cell phone she did not recognize in her sleeping 15-year-old's hand.

As she was questioning her daughters about the phone, the device vibrated indicating a new text message had been received. The text messages, according to the report, asked the young girl about oral sex, her menstrual cycle and instructed her that Nelson would pick her up at McDonald's after school the next day.

The mother then pretended to be her daughter and began texting back and forth with the suspect, the report said. After the exchange, she called the sheriff's department and, after an investigation, Nelson was arrested.

According to the sheriff, investigators believe that Nelson and the teen have had sexual contact in the past. Garrett wouldn't say how long it had been going on.

Nelson is behind bars without bond in the Clarendon County Detention Center charged with Criminal Sexual Conduct with a Minor and making Obscene or Harassing Telephone Calls.

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